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Monthly Archives: November 2017

There should be no shame in changing one’s mind on issues or apologizing for being wrong. These rigidly polarizing days, however, saying “sorry” or admitting one’s errors has become almost prohibited for politicians. As the Economist has noted it is rarely in the interest of those who are in power to pretend that they are never wrong.1

In writing this blog I freely admit I have been wrong on a number of occasions. I feel that unless one admits to the possibility of being wrong, there is less chance for change or improvement. I have been wrong on a wide variety aspects of life’s challenges. Although there is often not as much distance between right and wrong as I imagine, being “right” does not always lead to desired results and I know that what I consider to be wrong often can have positive consequences. I have to admit that while there is usually a right way and a wrong way, the wrong path sometimes seems more attractive to me.

I was seriously wrong, for example, when it came to the referendum in the UK on leaving Europe, but I felt at that time that the only way Europe could change and advance on such major issues as that of refugees or the rescue of the Greek economy was to shake up the overly bureaucratic and inept administration in Brussels. My argument, however, was quite different from that of the Brexit enthusiasts in the UK who thought this was the only way to liberate their country from the demands of the European Community. I speculated that if there was a strong voice to protest what was happening, change might occur without an unlikely vote for an exit. In being so seriously wrong, I did not recognize the negative effect the departure would have on all of Europe as well as on the UK.

I was equally wrong about Donald Trump’s chances of becoming President. I truly did not believe it was possible. I still can’t believe that such a large number of the American electorate could be so desperate and manifestly uninformed. Yes, I was wrong about the mental perspective of Americans living in the “rust-belt” of the United State. I was unaware how these people felt neglected, full of anger, painfully frustrated in their hopes for a better livelihood, and unable to come to terms with the intelligence of a black President. This exposed ignorance on my part and a lack of insightful reporting on the part of the media. Yes, I find it hard to recognize that 8 percent of America’s high school graduates can’t read or write.

It is also true that I have never been capable of appreciating the comparably miserable situation of the jobless German workers in 1932 who saw Adolf Hitler as the leader who could revitalize Germany. This mad Austrian, whose background was entirely alien, seemed preferable to the far more intelligent politicians of the time. I find it hard to accept that the electoral masses often find it difficult to cope with intellectuals. True, we all seem ready to disregard information or facts, which conflict with our strongly held views. Today, whatever economists or scientific experts demonstrate as being right has little effect on large segments of the population. This has become increasingly evident in the case of beliefs about climate change. It is not that people are blind or deaf, just that they don’t want to follow facts which run counter to their own beliefs.

I feel that I have been right about my opposition to and rejection of smoking and the use of brain destructive drugs. My concern with antibiotics, my fears of pollution, and my objections to nuclear weapons have all been evident in my blogs. I believe that our actions are right in proportion to the degree to which they improve the planet and produce happiness for human beings. Such actions are wrong when they result in wanton destruction, pain and misery. The nightmarish stockpiles of atomic and hydrogen bombs being held are insane. They may know it is wrong but the political leaders of this world are convinced that the only way to preserve their national positions is by holding masses of such weapons. Ultimately such a massive wrong may spell the end of mankind.